We have found that many operators and startups don’t have all the financial tools at their disposal to calculate what they can afford to spend on occupancy costs. Often they are given a cost per square foot AND an additional CAM charge (common area and maintenance) OR a Triple net fee (which includes all taxes) …

You’ve had a dream of owning your own restaurant for what seems like forever, and now things are finally coming into place. You have your funding, your location, and your menu. But how will you make your restaurant memorable? Will your brand be one that stands out from the crowd, or will it merely be …

Labor is an expensive aspect of running a restaurant and restaurant staff scheduling has an immense impact on whether or not your operation runs efficiently. How much time are you spending on scheduling? How do you intelligently streamline scheduling and employee communication? How do you manage last-minute phone calls and shift swaps? Let’s start with …

How did you celebrate this month’s holiday? No, not Valentine’s Day. We’re not talking about President’s Day either. For us, National Pizza Day, inspired us to recollect and celebrate some of our favorite pizza concepts, including one we recently helped to get off the ground! We don’t like to brag, but at Synergy, we have …

There are multiple facets in a restaurant that can either decrease or increase efficiency. When we think from a consumer’s perspective, food should be received as described and promptly. Wait time is a large factor when people are making their dining choices. In just a few clicks, people can even check live wait times at certain …

We often speak about trends among the Millennials. It’s hard to ignore this segment—after all, this is a generation that is 75 million strong in America. By 2019, Millennials are expected to outnumber Baby Boomers. Restaurant operators need to take particular care to attract and sustain this important cohort. Millennials are driving dining trends including the growing …

A truly great cocktail has many facets above and beyond flavor. The flavor must be balanced and walk the line between sweetness and acidity, bitter and sour, and so on. However, texture, temperature, and dilution all play major roles as well. Jeffrey Morgenthaler believes (and I agree) that to make a great cocktail you must …